UK lighting makers to replace CE mark in no-deal Brexit

The new UKCA symbol – the British replacement for the CE mark – will start appearing on luminaires, lamps, drivers and other electronic components in the event of a no-deal Brexit, possibly as early as April.

UK MANUFACTURERS of lighting are set to replace the CE mark in the British market with a new ‘UK Conformity Assured' symbol in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Complex rules govern the application of the new CE and UKCA markings depending on where the product is made, where it is on sale, and which test house carried out the certification

If there is no agreement between the European Union and the British government, the UKCA will start appearing on luminaires, lamps, drivers and other electronic components, possibly as early as April.

The symbol is designed to assure buyers that the lighting equipment complies will all the relevant standards.

The rules around using the new UKCA marking will mirror those which currently apply for the CE marking, says the government.

After 29 March 2019, lighting manufacturers will still be able to sell luminaires which have been made and assessed against EU regulatory requirements and then CE marked on the UK market – but only for a time-limited period.

Manufactured goods fall into two groups - one where third party certification by a notified body in the EU is mandatory and those where a self-declaration is allowed.

Lighting falls into the latter category and so a test certificate issued in the UK against EU requirements would still be regarded as evidence of compliance as would a certificate from a reputable lab elsewhere inside or outside the EU.

Peter Hunt of the Lighting Industry Association is seeking clarity about the requirements for a UK lighting manufacturer selling luminaires and other equipment into the EU following a no-deal Brexit

Lighting manufacturers will also have to supply a UK Declaration of Conformity with most of their products which bear a UKCA marking. In the document they will have to declare that the lighting equipment is in conformity with the relevant statutory requirements applicable to the specific product.

‘We understand that the Government will consult with business on the time limited period where a CE mark would continue to be acceptable in the UK but it is highly unlikely that this would end as early as April,’ Peter Hunt of the Lighting Industry Association told Lux.

‘One question which Government guidance does not answer is the question of whether a UK business selling lighting in the EU will require an authorised person or legal entity to carry out tasks such as CE declarations and holding of technical files on behalf of the UK exporter’.

The LIA is seeking clarity over this point with government officials and is continuing to consult with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on a weekly basis. It said it will inform its members of developments as guidance becomes available.

The LIA has teamed up with allied trade associations such as Beama, Gambica, CESA and others through its Brexit organisation, EURIS, which meets regularly with BEIS and the Department for Exiting the EU.

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Comments
3

The Government has published a technical note at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prepare-to-use-the-ukca-mark-after-brexit/using-the-ukca-marking-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-without-a-deal

Idwal Wynne-Jones

06 Feb 2019

Hi Adam,
I was wondering much the same, but it turns out there's been some quietly released info available for a while.
There's this guidance on the .gov website from last September:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trading-goods-regulated-under-the-new-approach-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/trading-goods-regulated-under-the-new-approach-if-theres-no-brexit-deal
Then this more recent guidance now they've settled on what the mark will be:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prepare-to-use-the-ukca-mark-after-brexit/using-the-ukca-marking-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-without-a-deal
So perhaps interpretive rather than speculative journalism, though I'm still far from clear on the repercussions myself! A link to the above in the article might be useful.
Time to read it all through a few more times...

Adam Bennette

05 Feb 2019

hello, I am the person in our organisation who signs CE Declarations of Conformity and I am based in the UK. What is the factual basis of this article? Is there a government technical note on this topic or is it speculative journalism?
It is my view that actually no-one, right now, has any idea what the arrangement will be.
Yours sincerely,
Adam Bennette
Technical Director, ETC Ltd, London.